If you and your spouse have made the difficult decision to end your marriage, there is no reason why you can’t split as quickly and painlessly as possible. Low-conflict divorced couples often are able to put aside conflicts with each other while reaching an agreement on matters such as child custody and property division.
Here are a few steps you can take to get divorced in an amicable way in California:
Serving your spouse with papers while they had no idea you wanted divorce, may not be the best move if you want a low-conflict divorce. Of course, there are exceptions, such as a domestic abuse situation in which you may need to file for divorce without your spouse’s knowledge. But if this is not the case, you should sit down with your spouse and make them aware of your intention.
If you want to end your relationship, it may be tempting to get it over with quickly. As a result, you may want to let your spouse keep whatever they want just to get the divorce over with. You may come to regret this decision later. It’s important to take the time to document everything so you can retain the money and property to which you are entitled.
Even if your divorce was amicable, you should always at least consult with a divorce attorney before filing the paperwork. In fact, you and your spouse can hire a lawyer together to help you with the property division and the paperwork. A compassionate and competent California divorce attorney will also help with effective negotiation skills to help keep the process as easy and smooth as possible.